Everything you need to get the most out of Specimen.
Specimen is distributed as a standard macOS application.
.zip fileWhen you first launch Specimen, it automatically scans your system for installed fonts. This may take a few moments depending on how many fonts you have.
During the initial scan, Specimen builds caches for writing system support, language support, foundry information, and license type detection.
Once complete, you'll see all your fonts displayed in the main view. The sidebar on the left provides quick access to different categories and collections.
Specimen's interface consists of three main areas:
Navigate between views: All Fonts, Favorites, Recents, and your custom collections. Browse by font type, writing system (10 scripts), language (24 languages), license type, or foundry.
Browse fonts in Grid, List, or Carousel view. The toolbar provides search, view mode switching, and filter controls. The status bar at the bottom customizes preview text, size, and background.
View detailed font information including live preview, all styles, glyph map, metadata, variable font controls (when applicable), and copy-as-code options.
Specimen offers three ways to browse your fonts:
Visual grid with font previews. Ideal for getting an overview and comparing fonts visually. Each card shows preview, family name, style count, and quick action buttons.
Compact vertical list showing font name, style count, and preview. Perfect for scanning through many fonts quickly.
Full-width view showing one font at a time. Use arrow keys to navigate. Great for focused examination of individual fonts.
Find fonts quickly with powerful filtering options.
Type in the search field to filter by family name. Results update instantly.
Click the filter button for advanced filters:
Toggle "Hide System" in the toolbar to show only user-installed fonts.
Organize fonts into custom collections for projects or preferences.
Press ⌘N or use File → New Collection. Give it a name and optionally choose an icon.
Right-click any font and select Add to Collection, then choose the target collection.
Smart collections automatically include fonts matching criteria like font type, name pattern, writing system, or language support.
The status bar controls how fonts are previewed.
Choose from presets (Pangram, Lorem Ipsum, Alphabet, Numbers) or type your own custom text.
Drag the slider to adjust from 12pt to 72pt.
Toggle between light, dark, and system backgrounds.
Press Space to open a large preview with waterfall display and complete character set.
Compare up to 4 fonts side by side.
Click the compare icon on a font card, right-click and select Add to Comparison, or press ⌘K.
When fonts are in comparison, a bar appears showing your selections. Click Compare to enter side-by-side view where all fonts display identical preview text.
The right panel shows detailed information about the selected font family.
Variable fonts contain multiple styles with continuously adjustable axes.
Variable fonts show a purple "Variable" badge in the inspector.
Use the sliders to adjust—preview updates in real-time.
Browse and install from 1,700+ free Google Fonts directly in Specimen.
Go to Tools → More Fonts → Google Fonts or press ⇧⌘G.
Browse by category, search by name, and preview with live web rendering. Click Install to download all styles to your user fonts folder.
Curated collection of high-quality free fonts from Indian Type Foundry.
Go to Tools → More Fonts → Fontshare or press ⇧⌘F.
Browse professionally designed fonts in Sans, Serif, Display, and Mono categories. Click Install to add to your system.
Scan your font library for problems.
Go to Tools → Font Health Check and click Start Check.
Click any issue to view the affected font and take action.
Generate professional type specimen PDFs.
Select a font, press ⇧⌘E or right-click and choose Export PDF Specimen.
Large preview, waterfall at multiple sizes, all available styles, complete character set, and font metadata.
Copy font declarations for your projects.
Find these in the inspector's "Copy As" section or the right-click menu.
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Quick Look | Space |
| New Collection | ⌘N |
| Toggle Sidebar | ⌘1 |
| Toggle Inspector | ⌥⌘I |
| Add to Favorites | ⌘D |
| Add to Comparison | ⌘K |
| Export PDF Specimen | ⇧⌘E |
| Show in Finder | ⇧⌘R |
| Copy Family Name | ⇧⌘C |
| Google Fonts | ⇧⌘G |
| Fontshare | ⇧⌘F |
Check if "Hide System" is enabled. Also verify no filters are active by clicking the filter button.
Specimen is a browser and organizer, not an activator. All visible fonts are already active on your system.
To your user fonts folder at ~/Library/Fonts. Available immediately to all apps.
Yes! Only Google Fonts and Fontshare browsing require internet.
Contact info@ensili.co with your license details.
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